The Palais Rohan was built for Cardinal Prince Bishop Armand-Gaston de Rohan-Soubise, said to be the illegitimate son of Louis XIV.

That didn't stop four Rohan Cardinals from serving as Bishop of Strasbourg throughout the 18th century. In addition, Louis XV, Marie-Antoinette, and Napoléon all stayed there at various times.

Today the Palais Rohan houses three museums.

The Musée des Arts Décoratifs is on the ground floor. It allows visitors to see the luxurious apartments of the Cardinals of Rohan. It also presents decorative arts of Strasbourg from the 17th to the 19th centuries, including ceramics, furniture, jewelry, and sculpture.

On the first floor (European) is the Musée des Beaux-Arts, or Fine Arts museum. This museum presents the history of European painting, from early primitives to the late 19th century. It includes works by Giotto, Botticelli, Raphael, El Greco, Reubens, Delacroix, Corot, and many more.

The Palais's basement houses the Musée Archéologique. It provides exhibits about Alsace's past, from prehistory to the beginning of the Middle Ages. The collection also includes recent discoveries from excacations conducted in Strasbourg and other parts of Alsace. It hosts many temporary exhibits to highlight these current findings.

A beautiful building with a storied past, and three museums. That's a lot in one place.